


Beyond the Horizon

by summerroad7



Series: Star Treatment [2]
Category: Last Shadow Puppets
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-03-19 19:45:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18977128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerroad7/pseuds/summerroad7
Summary: One Monday morning, Mike Kerr received an unknown phone call about an old case of his. The man claimed to be Miles Kane, who was supposed to be dead six years ago.





	1. Prologue

Prologue

 

 

When Mike walked into the room, the first thing he noticed was how young Kane actually was - he checked once again on the data sheet. 23 was not a very common age for being accused of such awful things.

As he was sitting down on the table, his client looked up silently, greeting him with tired, innocent-looking eyes. This man still had a boyish appearance. For a split second, a voice in his head whispered “wrong” and Mike had to look away, hoping his sympathy didn’t start to work at the most inappropriate t _ime. Kane’s eyes were a warm color. They would look even more beautiful under th_ e sun. He thought mindlessly, clearing his throat twice before introducing himself to Miles Kane. “I’m Mike Kerr, I’m sent here as your lawyer.”

“Me what?” The little frown on Kane’s face was indifferent, almost like a polite gesture. Strangely, Kane seemed not interested in their conversation, possibly the only thing now that could have spared his life, in the slightest. He mumbled, “Is t _hat an Ear_ th word for interrogator?”

“No, of course not. I’m here to offer you legal advice,” This earned him an incredulous glance. The confusion on Kane’s face gave Mike a slight headache, for getting his first taste of the _unique “civi_ lization” on the Moon surface. Nonetheless, Mike continued, “I will help you to get a justified sentence on trial-”

“But I have nothing to add, believe me.” Kane interrupted. He started to bite on the second knuckle of his forefinger in a childish manner. Mike then figured out his right hand was motionless because it’s bound to the table surface with some invisible force. Magic, most likely.

Kane looked quickly at Mike’s tablet, then back at his own lap. “You’ve got all of the stuff on the screen, haven’t you?”

“So those are all true?”

Kane gave him a weak smile. “More or less. I mean, I’ve read it through a couple of times already, man. Really can’t think of anything more.”

“They got you involved in writing this? That’s insane!” Mikes stood up abruptly, completely stunned. “How can you agree to-”

“Of course it's because I’m a cold, heartless killer. Where’s the fun if I deny my own masterpieces?” Suddenly, Kane lifted his shoulder up and put on a harsh, high voice. His face was distorted into something very theatrical. Mike flinched, almost dropping his tablet on the floor as he backed off from the table.

Kane retrieved back as well. “Sorry… it’s just that you seemed pretty stiff. I figured I’d try something.” He shrugged, voice turning back to normal. The smile Kane flashed at him was _playful_ and genuine-looking. “A bit too much?”

The sense of frustration was building fast in Mike’s stomach. As the very moment, he already knew he had failed the case. Kane appeared to be extremely calm. Carefree almost. There was only one possible explanation for his behaviour. Still, Mike tried. “Mr. Kane, there’s no need for an icebreaker. I am here for my job and that, as I just said, is to help you.”

“Thank you, Sir. I appreciate that-but I don’t want to waste your time.” Answered Miles Kane, and their conversation had come to an end. The look on his face was etched in Mike’s memory for years. As one of the best layers in LA, on the record Mike had never lost a case in his entire career. However, He was always rereading Kane’s case file in his nightmares, always after reading bad news about the Moon base -

_Mike stood still in the dullish room, having a hard time believing one of the most dangerous criminals was such a young lad, while the doe-eyed man looked up._

_Kane did not seem particularly sad, but in that hazel shade, no will to live was there to be seen._

 

+TBC+


	2. Levitation

**Chapter 1 Levitation**

 

15 mins before his office time came to an end, Mike received an unexpected call.

He was busy organizing the case files for tomorrow when his phone buzzed. Assuming it's Ben calling to catch up, Mike ignored it at first. However, whoever on the other side of the line seemed to be a stubborn asshole and didn't catch the hint. Annoyed, Mike fetched the noisy device and practically yelled at it. "Mate, I'm in the middle of something, just give me a damn break and I'll call you back-" 

"Mike Kerr?"

This managed to silence him instantly. Mike didn't recognize the voice at first. "Yeah, who am I speaking to?" He put down everything else in hands, staring at the unfamiliar number displayed on screen. This was his personal mobile phone. Any work-related contacts would go through the law office, and he had a damn good setup to filter crankcalls. 

At least the stranger had a pleasant voice. One that was weirdly familiar. The man hesitated for a few seconds. The background noises indicated he was outside somewhere. "Err...I don't know if you remember, but we met briefly once about six years ago-"

"I'm sorry Mr. but I see more than a hundred new faces every month. How am I supposed to know who the hell are you?" Mike grunted, starting to think this was some new kind of swindle. 

A hoarse shriek of honk, and at the same time the man quietly added, "It was on the Moon."

Mike strained his ears. He almost didn’t hear it right. But when he got it, that's all Mike needed to remember.

"No way." He grabbed onto the edge of the table to steady himself, palms becoming sweaty in seconds. "You were dead."

"Nearly." Miles Kane corrected, voice interrupted by jarring sirens and engine noises. "…I need your help."

 

+

 

Mike cancelled the whole schedule for the week with a requirement for vacation. 

"A week off? Who are you and what did you do to Mike?" Ben joked when Mike walked in mid-day on Tuesday. He was genuinely taken by surprise. "You finally find yourself a life?"

"Just fuck off, please?" Mike sent Ben away, then went back to tug at his own collar, which seemed to be chocking him since the call on Monday. To be honest, he barely got any sleep last night. Mike decided to meet up with Miles Kane at Ben's Cafe, which was located at one of the busiest streets in downtown LA. Surprisingly, Kane agreed to it without much hesitation. He only asked Mike not to bring a group of cops with him, which did also cross Mike's mind at some point of their conversation.

He could have just hung up and called it a prank. Yet deep down, Mike knew it wasn't one - Mike was involved in most of the big cases regarding the “Lunar Base Revival” plan. His name was on the news several times for publicity. However, it was top secret that he also worked as the defense lawyer for members of "The Little Flames". For three years, he helped to spare those people' lives, which they never seemed to have much control on. Most people end up being labors on the Moon or special “immigrants” on Earth. All except one man who straight-up refused any legal help to Mike’s face.

_Miles Kane wasn't even really considered a full member of the Little Flames, but nonetheless being the key man of the whole story._

Kane was given death sentence after three secret trials held on the Moon. He admitted that he had helped to build Fox's criminal empire, murdered countless citizens of the Upper City and manipulated the then Chief Wizard Alex Turner to destroy the drilling platform, which happened to be another filthy crime that was happening on the Moon.

The case wouldn't bother Mike as much if he hadn't run into Alex Turner on the day when he travelled back to Earth. It had been a week since Kane’s case was closed, and Turner returned to the Moon on the same spaceship Mike was about to board.

Turner was a small, handsome man with long curly hair. From afar, Mike at first thought that was a young lady. Nothing about him seemed intimidating. Not in a million years would Mike have guessed this was the most powerful Wizard of their generation.

"No!" Turner was basically screaming at the Executives who came to welcome him. Mike turned his head to see what went wrong. Suddenly, he felt this icing, prickly pressure on his skin. Within a blink, something invisible exploded, and it became extremely hard to breath inside the building. The sound coming out from Turner's body was heart retching, inhuman-

 _Turner was demanding to see Miles Kane._ Mike didn't need to hear more. 

Later, when they somehow managed to sedate Turner, Mikes was led into the spaceship. "Poor kid." One of the locals whispered as Mike found himself a spot to sit, still trembling from the surreal magical power he had just witnessed.

The flight back to Earth was restless. _Whenever Mike blinked, there were Kane's dead-looking eyes staring right back at him._

 

+

 

Kane arrived right on time.

He was nothing like the boy Mike remembered from years ago. Gone was the soft fluffy hair and the innocent, childish manner. He even grew a beard, which really helped Mike to forget this man was still just in his late twenties. Kane sat down across the table, dressed in a fucking blue suit and looked so damn fancy as if he just walked out of a bank.

Mike’s mouth wouldn't shut properly as Kane sat down across the table. 

"Well I …I borrowed this, just to blend in." Kane winked, casted a quick glance through the window to the busy street, and then turned back to smile at Mike. His eyes changed the least, still a warm, charming shade of hazel.

"How are you doing, man?" 

"How are you still alive?" 

They asked at the same time, and Kane burst into laughter. "It's obvious, innit? I'm not really dead. I figured they'd reach out to you soon or later, but I must see you before the official call."

It's getting harder and harder for him to remain calm. Mike didn’t even try to hide his confusion. He snapped, "What the hell are you talking about?" 

"I signed a contract, and now it’s about to expire. My employers will find you. According to our agreement, they’d get me an ID - a legal one, hopefully in a month time." If anything, Kane's explanation was doing the opposite of helping Mike understand the situation. "I know you're the best lawyer they can get. They will find you, and they’d probably want to make a big story out of my case. I need you to help me to avoid the...attention, as much as possible. And I want you to get me on the special agreement of Policy 309."

"Do you understand that Policy 309 is pretty much the law of modern slavery?" Mike asked, "Why are you even here, anyway? Who the fuck are your employers and what the fuck truly happened 6 years ago? And why- I mean, why me?" 

Kane, that bastard, pulled out a food menu and started to bloody read it. For a second, a smirk flickered on his face as Kane blinked slyly. "I'd tell you everything, only if you promise to keep our conversations between us two and also agree to help me… _Sir._ " 

 

+ 

 

Mike was also somehow involved in the “ _dilemma_ ” of Alex Turner, who in time had become one of his good mates. 

Turner was an introvert man if you were not inside his comfort zone. He didn't speak much even when being asked direct questions. Since he got back to the Moon, Turner had refused to talk to anyone that worked for the United Earth Government. Later, Mike was sent to the Moon again, this time only to deal with Alex Turner, whose name was well-known enough that even Mike’s neighbours knew who that was. Mike was given the weirdest task, which was to persuade Turner to accept the position at the School of Magic and Life Science in London as a teaching professor. 

 _Did this make Turner Dumbledore or Charles Xavier?_ Mike tried his best not to do the comparison. Nonetheless, the situation was so ridiculously cinematic that Mike couldn’t stop thinking he was probably being used by the government for something bigger.

Mike had a feeling that Tuner only agreed to their meeting because he was one of the last people who had spoken to Miles Kane. As he was specifically informed (to be fair, it was quite obvious), Turner and Kane were lovers before all hell broke loose. The death sentence gave Turner a hard time. He did not want to negotiate any terms and conditions and was certainly unwilling to go back to Earth as the United Earth Government had wanted him to.

“No need to be this formal, Mr. Turner. Our talk is not monitored.”

“That’s bullshit and we both know it.” Said Turner, which indeed surprised Mike. He wasn’t expecting any swearing right from the start. 

It’s painfully obvious that Turner was still in denial about what had happened. He acted like a cocky teenager, rude and defensive, while trying his best to hide the fact he was agonized. This kind of reaction happened with the best of people, and Mike had dealt with similar cases frequently enough to know how to poke at Turner from the right angle. 

“I’ll be honest with you, Mr. Turner, I can’t help you if you don’t cooperate. I’m a lawyer, not a therapist.” Mike laid out the facts bluntly. “In fact, many of my clients had been into abusive relationships. If you need professional advice-” 

“I don’t need one single thing from you Mr. Kerr, and I’m not in a bloody abusive relationship!” Turner cut him off furiously, staring at Mike from behind his long fringes. He sounded so blindly protective that Mike genuinely felt bad for him.

Still, he had a job to do. Mike went on, “But you’re with me in this room, Mr. Turner. I suppose there’s something I can offer you, otherwise you won’t be here.”

Turner looked up briefly. His eyes were tired, and clearly tortured by grief. Under the greyish light they almost looked pure black. “They said you were Miles’ lawyer-”

“Yes, but Mr. Kane refused to let me help him on the court. You can read his confessions if you want to. From my point of view, it was clear that _death_ was what Mr. Kane was after.”

“No, there’s no way for Miles to- I know he wouldn’t-he’s not suicidal! Something must have happened. I know there’s -” Turner stood up, and the air in the room became turbulent. He put a hand through his own hair, taking in a long breath. The magic power crushed out as Turner turned back to him. At that time, Mike didn’t know much about Alex. He felt like this was not for him to see as tears filled the young wizard’s eyes. Turner lowered his head and placed both shaky hands on the edge of the table. He begged. “Please, just tell me everything about your meeting. I… I need to know.”

The expression on his face convinced Mike it was indeed strange. The day Mike met Kane, the other man wasn’t even concerned about his own life when there was someone who loved him so dearly. _Wouldn’t Kane at least think of Turner before his life was about to end if their feelings were mutual?_  

“I will tell you, Mr. Turner, word by word. But as an exchange, please, we need to have a real conversation.”

 

+

 

They sat in the Café for two hours. Kane ordered a red velvet muffin with black coffee while all Mike craved were a few shots of vodka. He had to endure this new Miles Kane sitting across the table, constantly biting on his fork like an unmannered child. Still, that was the most surreal afternoon in Mike’s entire life. Half way through their conversation, he had forgotten he was here to answer Kane’s prayers. Mike got so absorbed into the story that whenever Kane claimed something was confidential on a do-or-die level that he must skip, Mike felt fucking disappointed. 

This case of Miles Kane had haunted him for years. Now Kane came back, presenting the follow-ups to him with both hands. Mike knew it had to be somewhat dangerous to get re-involved like this. However, he was too intrigued to say no. In a way, it brought him back to the days when he first started to work as an attorney. He wanted only to do the right thing, not being a tool for some higher power. 

The only thing that bothered him was the mention of _Policy 309._

It was, to some extent, possible for Kane to be allocated according to this one rule without Mike even interfered with the case. If Kane wanted to stay on Earth, his records forbad him from getting a resident permission without supervision. To get a “parole” he would be given a job and a handcuff, which literally bound him to a given place. He'd be staying in a damn camp with the others, There wasn't much allowance for any personal stuff when living in such a place.

Many ways were known to dance around the policy, but Kane wanted the opposite. Certainly, lying behind Kane’s odd requirement was a strong reason, and Mike had a hunch that it was about _Alex Turner._

He was not disappointed. After hours of carefully not to mention Alex’s name, it turned out that Miles Kane was very aware of the fact that Mike was befriended with him. Just as they left the café, while passing a short, camera-free alley, Kane turned back to Mike and grasped at his wrist, pulling him towards the end of the lane. “There’s one more thing.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Mike answered sarcastically, rolling his eyes at Kane’s straight face. 

Miles asked pleadingly, “Alex can’t know about this.”

Mike didn’t want to pretend he wasn’t thinking about it earlier. In fact, he had been struggling about this all night yesterday, debating whether to tell Alex straight away or to wait until he was certain that Miles Kane was still alive. He was no acquaintance with Kane, but Alex was his friend. Mike knew that deep down Alex never let this one go. The “fact” that Miles Kane was dead had been eating him alive for all these years.

He felt a strong, sharp repulsion when Miles begged him not to tell Alex the truth. “Have you no idea how hard it’s been on him?” Mike demanded angrily. “Alex was devastated! He still is, and I won’t help you lie to him-”

“Please! It’s just not safe for him to know yet.” Kane begged. He grabbed at Mike’s other elbow and shook him desperately. For a moment Kane closed his eyes in distress, and when he reopened them, he looked so lost… and _so fucking sincere_. 

He let go of Mike. Kane put one hand flat on top of his own ribcage, pressing down hard over his heart. His eyes were glistening while he whispered, “Trust me, I know I have no rights to do so. But I need to keep Alex out of this for now. Just for one more month, and I swear I’d find him and tell him myself.”

“You don’t seem to worry much about my safety.” Mike snickered.

His bitter accusation made Kane laugh in surprise. “Eh, Mike, come on! You’re not in danger. With Alex…the case is different. Better wait until the final blow lands.”

“I have to know about this final mission of yours before I plan stuff, you know.”

Kane nodded once. He agreed eagerly, clapping his hands together. “Then we shall meet again! Same time tomorrow? Pick somewhere more private.”

 

+

 

Mike received a message from office G10 when he came back to office to sort thing out before officially starting his unexpected “vacation”. 

The Ombudsman office was on G floor, though Mike had never got anything from there before. The message that just popped out on his screen seemed to be a bad omen.

 _The idea was too superstitious by half._ Mike laughed at himself for being hyper paranoid when he found out it was just the confirmation of his week off. He didn’t know the office handling this kind of applications was also located on G floor: This was his first ever required holiday for years.

Mike turned off his computer. Right now, he had other things to worry.

He managed to get back to his flat right before the traffic went bad. The hour hand on his clock was close to the lowest point when Mike opened the front door. He poured himself a drink and started to digest his talk with Kane. The process was long and painful as Mike carefully wrote down all the clues he trusted on a piece of paper. 

_Someone in_ _the United Earth Government had been given support to the project of immortality on the Moon. Kane was “employed” by the UEG to assist finding out_ _this mysterious participant. He spent years to track down Fox’s men. With the help from the inside, after years they finally had locked onto the most possible suspect._

A lot of the details Kane had given him, Mike highly doubted that they were even close to what really happened. If he trusted his own instinct, Mike would consider most of them nonsenses. But there was one part that seemed to be robust, which was about Kane’s death sentence. A fake death was agreed in their “contract”. Once they took action to take down the target and the mission was considered over, someone would contact Mike to get Kane a legal identity. 

Just as Mike dropped the pen, his doorbell rings. 

 _A visitor on Tuesday evening! A day really couldn’t get any more thrilling than this._ Mike hurried to fold the paper up and went to see his front door CCTV.

…no fucking way. 

Mike cursed quietly as he peeked at the screen. Standing outside the front door of his flat, in a blue trench coat with a briefcase in hand, that was _Alex fucking Turner._

 

 

+TBC+ 

 


	3. Already Gone

**2\. Already Gone**

 

“What am I supposed to do?” He whispered hysterically, irritated by the silence treatment from Kane when the doorbell kept ringing like a fire alarm. “He knows I’m home!”

Finally, he got a few coughs, followed by Miles indifferently replying, “Do whatever you like, I guess. Just don’t give me away.” 

Mike threw his phone down on the carpet, stomping off to the front door. _Fuck Miles Kane and his self-centred bullshits._ He was not going to help Kane to deceive his friend. Alex deserved the truth, and Mike would just tell him right here – He grabbed the knob and turned it heavily, ripping the door open with unnecessary amount of force.

“Hi,” Alex was taken aback by his anger, clueless about what happened in the past few days. He invited himself into the hall, shook off his coat but kept the briefcase tightly in hand. “What’s up?” 

There was a trace of exhaustion on his face when Alex walked towards him for a brief hug. He had developed some serious problems with sleeping, judging by the eye bags he now owed. The words were already hanging on the tip of his tongue, but somehow, they couldn’t leave his mouth. The flashbacks again started, and he saw Kane pleading him not to burden Alex with the news. At the last second, Mike changed his mind, hating himself for bending so easily. “Work stuff. Been driving me batty, but you know the drill.”

“Yeah, should have guessed that.” Alex bought his crappy lie without a second thought. Over the years he had learned to trust Mike, which just made Mike ridden with more guilt. Fortunately, Alex interrupted his thoughts by shoving the briefcase into his hands. “Sorry, mate. I’m about to load you with more.” 

Mike immediately took out the first few pages while they moved to his living room, remembering to pick up his phone on the way. He shouted after skimming through the text. “What the fuck Alex! What have you done?”

By the window Alex gazed out on the broody mist. Today, the dusk was gloomy and sullen, stirred by occasional barks of some dogs in the neighbourhood. Alex darted a glance back at Mike, shrugging. “Nothing, really. I just handed in my resignation, and two days later I received this.” 

“Resignation.” Mike repeated mechanically, putting the legal files down on the tea table. “But you know it’s not allowed.”

Alex passed him a solemn nod. “I just wanna get out of here. I’ve worked in the institution for years as THE clown, Mike. I’m so fed up with... everything. To be honest with you, the only reason I’ve cooperated is that I foolishly believed there was a chance to get him back.”

The abrupt mention of _Miles Kane_ startled Mike. It had been years since Alex even talked about his time on the Moon, let alone the man he was dedicating his life to. “Alex -”

“I guess I finally see it now. I need to move on, as everyone has been telling me.” Alex kept talking, and Mike didn’t dare to interrupt him, fearing that if he opened his mouth, he’d spill the truth right away. Alex wetted his lips before he continued, “It’s all a bit pointless now, innit? I’m thinking about moving back to London. Somewhere closer to my parents.”

There was a wind outside his house. Suddenly the window was rattling and delayed Mike’s reply. “Don’t worry about this bill, I... I’ll take care of it. Alex, I may be able to transfer you back to the school in London. But I can’t get you off the contract, I’m afraid.”

Alex went silent for a few seconds at his offer. Mike used to see him like this more often when Alex first moved to LA. The melancholy little frown that constantly took up his face, and the way he just zoned out in the middle of a conversation, as if he was abducted from the room by some powerful and mysterious thing out there. Alex cleared his throat, his dreamy smile replaced by a more solid, relieved laugh. “That’s good enough for me. Thanks Mike, for always helping me out.”

It could be simply a coincidence that Alex chose to believed Kane was dead on the day when Mike met with Kane who’s in fact, very alive. However, years of working with uncanny cases had taught him better. _This was a strange timing for Alex Turner to give up on Miles Kane._ Some kind of hunch kept his mouth shut all night even when they were drinking wine like two men gulping down water after a marathon.

 _After all, this man had suffered enough._ Mike decided if Alex didn’t want to be bothered by the Kane problem anymore, Mike wasn’t going to be the one who dragged him back into the swamp.

 

+

Turner was keen to “help” Mike with some legal cases for some members of “The Little Flames”. Therefore, slowly Mike was filled in on the details of what happened. It was quite ridiculous, thinking of no one had doubted the authorities for all these years. NASA never shut up about what a prosperous voyage it was, conquering the moon. For a long time, being a lunar Wizard was the dream of many young magic users.

Mike would not forget the face Turner made when he told him about this. “It can easily sound like the best job in the world, I guess.” Said Turner drily, frowning as if he just saw something unbelievably repulsive. The bitter smile hanging on the corner of his lips didn’t reach his eyes. 

To avoid the topic, Mike opened the big folder on the table. He wasn’t supposed to show Turner any files, for they were all confidential. But he would ask questions accordingly, so that he had a better idea of what he needed to do. The conversations they had always happened in the library, where everyone could potentially hear them.

“Because we have nothing to hide. Our talk is legal, consensual and appropriate for all ages.” Mike explained when Turner asked him why not choosing somewhere more private. If they were to find a hidden location, the United Earth Government would soon be alarmed.

“I’ve worked with them for years. I know the way to do it.”

“You surely do.” Turner put on a sad grin. “Why do you even agree to meet with me?”

“I’m happy that you care, I guess. Not many people do, to be honest with you. I tried with my old contacts, but they’d rather cry for the poor residents of the moon when they read the news, and that’s fucking it. They can’t care less about where you people end up. If right now I propose- let’s keep the people here on Earth, you’d be surprised how quickly people change their faces. Simply because resources are tight and it’s already a burden even when we keep them all in concentration camps.”

Turner darted a surprised look at his outburst. Mike felt like a childish idealist when Turner was scrutinizing with an unreadable expression. He was indeed making an unfair big talk here – Mike himself was lucky enough to get where he was now with help from family and friends, which most people could only dream about. It was certainly a pretentious speech, even with a good intention.

“I’ve heard they are going to turn the moon into a giant labour camp.” He looked Mike in the eyes. Something in Turner’s manner screamed unhealthy self-destruction when his mouth re-opened. “Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s out of personal reasons that I’m here. I need to see a few people before they are sent away, since they won’t let me go back.”

Mike didn’t know where the courage came from. Afterall, he was sitting across the table to _Alex Turner_ , one of the most powerful magic users of their time, when there was no magic restriction on this man, and they were dancing around a sensitive topic that Mike knew might trigger violent reactions. But when he spoke, those words were already waiting there on the tip of his tongue. “You really should go see a therapist, you know.”

Turner’s lips formed a word, but no sound actually came.

“Oh, now I get what this is about.” Mike dared to provoke him even more. Another advantage of the public library of a university in which Turner technically worked, was that Mike was unlikely to be attacked at any time. “I understand why you’re so devoted, Mr. Turner. Stockholm syndrome is quite common among -”

"It's not like that." Surprisingly, Turner seemed more tired than angry. _By now he must have had the same conversations with so many people._  

Mike turned the pages slowly, not really focusing on what’s written on there. “All victims say that.” 

The young Wizard glared at him, the hatred in his eyes were colder than icicles. “I’m no victim, and I’m not here to have a fucking lecture, mind you.”

The good thing was that Mike knew the way to get out of trouble while keeping Turner satisfied with their “deal”. Putting all things aside, Turner was the one who’s able to supply him with at least part of the true story, not some official meaningless words. “I’ll tell you right now there’s no chance that you’re ever allowed to meet any previous members of the resistance group. But what I can do, is to sue the right people and ask them to give you the lawful holidays, which you can use to visit the bloody moon and do all the nasty stuff there, without me getting involved.”

It was the second time that Turner became speechless during that meeting. Mike could see him hesitating, debating with himself in his own head. It almost scared him how sincerely grateful Turner sounded when he eventually nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Kerr.” The young man replied, embracing his pathetic fate way too eagerly. “That would be nice.”

It was Mike’s turn to lose his words. _How could someone hold so much blind hope in their eyes, when there was actually none?_ “You think it’s worth it?” _For someone who’s clearly evil and dead?_

He didn’t need Turner to say the answers loud. It was already as plain as day when Turner smiled distantly to _a ghost in the air._

 

+

At that time, Alex was still young and inexperienced, and it was easy to nudge him to his desired direction, as what Mike had done before, convincing Alex to accept this position in London (In exchange, they had promised to keep Kane’s only family, his mother, safe on Earth, giving her a place fairly close to Alex’s own parents). 

This got harder and harder as they gradually learned about each other. Mike started to, unfortunately, admire the man from his heart. Maybe it was the guilt, which later drove Mike to clean after his mistakes again and again. Afterall, Mike was the one who originally put this idea in his head. Since then, religiously, Alex Turner would go back to the moon every year, on a spaceship filled with travelers, workers and sometimes criminals. He was probably aware that he’s always followed and every move he made was kept on records. However, Alex didn’t seem to care all that much.

This wasn’t even the first legal action Alex was facing throughout the years.  

“What have you done?” Asked Mike angrily during his second meeting with Kane, who was as calm as a damn sculptor. He looked well-rested and relaxed, while Mike was agitated and still suffering from a terrible hangover, which he hadn’t experienced since he graduated from law school.

“I fucking knew it. You are manipulating him!” 

Kane actually laughed at his accusation. “Aha, haven’t heard that one in a long time.” He dropped his chin onto his knees, sinking deeper into the disgusting leather sofa of his. Clearly, Kane knew about Alex’s decision before Mike even mentioned it.

“I didn’t do anything. My guess is someone deliberately spread some new evidence of the horrible death of mine, which finally shook Al awake.” Something strangely melancholy surfaced on his face, when Kane called Alex by that nickname. _How irony, when Alex couldn’t even speak this man’s full name properly without choking on the words._ “Or he’s just tired.” 

Mike kicked the table leg closest to him in frustration. They were in Kane’s box of a flat, which was ridiculously close to where Alex was currently living. “Your places are only 7 fucking minutes apart. All this time! You’ve been following him-” 

“No, not really. But I can’t talk about that either, sorry.” Kane apologized for the third time in the last five minutes. Then softly he pleaded, “I’m only asking you to drag Al’s case as long as you possibly can, so that he’d at least be here for another month.”

Mike rolled his eyes. “It’s for his safety again, I guess.”

“We have people here in LA to protect him. Whoever wanted him back in London, it’s definitely not for tea and chats, you know what I mean?”

Mike couldn’t control the sneers. “Why should I believe you, out of all people? Give me one good reason not to report you right away, Kane.”

“Well, you are kind of stupid to come here alone. So, if you want to, I may just kill you.” It’s hard to tell if it was meant to be a joke or a threat. Mike glared at Kane as viciously as he could manage, although cold sweats were already damping his palms. 

Kane smirked at his nervousness, throwing his legs on the floor and got up to get the kettle. “Have a seat, Mike. I’m just kidding.”

As Kane bent down to fetch two cups from the cabinet, the hem of that old T-shirt he was wearing rolled up, exposing a birthmark-like black scar on the small of his back. Mike’s blood turned freezing cold at the sight of it. He had only seen such a mark once, and it was on someone’s dead body.

“Your back-”

“Don’t worry, it’s not my curse I’m bearing. But you can say I’m the only barrier that’s keeping the host alive.” Flashing across Kane’s face were emotions that Mike was quite familiar with. _Anger. Pain. Worry. Guilt. Shame._

_Longing._

He’d heard Kane was talented in healing magic, which was likely the reason why he was not affected much by the deadly curse. It was a malicious spell that took years to cast onto a living soul. However, Mike wasn’t aware it was possible to transfer it in any way. Moreover, who would be willing to do such a thing for someone else? Suddenly, everything clicked in his head and one second later Mike was shouting at Kane, livid and scared as a novice.

“Alex,” His voice trembled, the pit in his stomach collapsing. “Alex is the target.”

“Well, soon he won’t be, with your help.” For the first time, Kane appeared to be uncomfortable with Mike’s presence. His arms were unsteady as he poured hot water into the cups, although he kept his voice neutral. “If you remember, earlier this year Alex was in hospital for fatigue and dizziness, and they told him it’s due to overstress and anxiety, something like that. What really happened was…there’s a security breach and they got to him, but I don’t think Al knows. Better keep it this way, don’t you think?”

“Keep him from knowing he’s fucking dying?”

“He’s not anywhere near dying, trust me. Took me sometime to figure out who did it. It’s someone from the inside, someone he’s close with. Not you, clearly, otherwise we won’t be having this conversation. I just need more time to sort this out.” Kane said firmly, gently dropping a tray on the table. “Now will you fucking help me, please?” 

Mike watched him from the far corner of the room. He felt like an intruder of sorts in this story, when it’s painfully obvious that the other two protagonists were fully devoted to each other, no matter in a beautiful or hideous way. Either their relationship was so sick and twisted that it trapped them both, or they were truly meant to be the lead characters of some stupid epic love story. _Both options sucked, when Mike had to be actively involved due to his own bad choice._

“Who’s it?” He spitted out. “Give me a name.” 

Miles didn’t look up. “Name’s Cam Avery.”

For a moment, Mike felt nauseous. He knew this man, who was also a lunar resident. Alex was a reserved person, and it’s not like he’s always surrounded by people. He tended to rely on old friends who _understood_ the impact of what happened on the moon. Alex even mentioned this guy a few times, always saying nice things about him.

Mike grabbed a chair and fell on it heavily. _Could this be a trick that Kane pulled off to confuse him? Kane got Alex all obsessed with him already. Mike himself wasn’t any better, bothered by the case of Miles Kane endlessly._ His senses told him to watch out for the possible lies Kane could be saying, yet his instinct already yielded, giving up on fighting. 

As a final struggle, Mike asked feebly, “Are you sure?”

“I only wish I’m wrong.” Kane sat down as well, slowly pushing a steaming cup of tea across the table to Mike. “At this stage everyone involved requires full protection. You, too.” 

Mike knew what he was gonna say even before Kane admitted it. “So basically, you lied to me. I’m in danger, that’s why you’re avoiding giving me the information all at once.”

Kane shrugged, looking impressed and slightly embarrassed. “Sorry, I know it’s a dick move, but I won’t be able to see you in my place like this if I told you everything directly. That’s right, I’m actually here for your safety.”

Mike didn’t know if he should feel relieved or frightened, since this man in front of him was in fact the center of the hurricane. He took a sip of the tea. Strangely, the drink seemed to drastically calm him down, and Mike doubted it was because of Kane’s horrible tea making skill. _Some sort of magic, possibly._ When he could think clearly again, his brain restarted and already Mike was calculating the best possible options to get everyone out of the trouble in one piece.

Mike took a deep breath. _This was his case to solve, after all these years of puzzling and contemplating._ He would only accept a perfect, justified ending.

“Alright then, _Mr. Kane_. Now talk me through the case.”

 


	4. Lonely Universe

**3\. Lonely Universe**

 

It only came as an afterthought, but Mike still asked anyway, for he had nothing better to do, trapped in this plain flat with a silent Kane who was deep in thought. “Are you still very much suicidal?” 

“I- what? Sir, that’s quite a speculation you’ve got there.” Kane pulled a face, as if Mike just stuffed his mouth with flies. After an uncomfortable pause, he giggled feverishly. Mike found it hard to decide if that was funny or scary. “No, I can’t wait to be an old man who’s got only two teeth left, and no, I never wanted to die. Fuck, what a horrible first impression I’ve made for you to say that.”

 _Jokes._ Always one more joke waiting there, prepared for any question Mike threw at him. He was irritated enough to make an ugly move, snickering, “Alex once said the same thing. He believed you’d never leave without a goodbye. I guess people are just hard to predict, right Kane?”

The smirk on Kane’s face was shattered by his words, which were made to be cruel. His eyes widened, failed to contain all the emotions in one blink. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You have no idea how much my friend is suffering, and it’s all because of you.” Mike muttered loud enough for Kane to hear. He didn’t really mean to blame him for Alex’s stubbornness, but it was the quickest way to get the last missing piece he needed to finish this jigsaw. “You could have accepted my help back then and none of this would happen-”

“Oh, so this is about your ego.” Miles’ insult hit right at the darkest part of his soul. Mike stood up, glaring at the lanky, loathsome man. _At this moment, Mike despised him._ “You couldn’t help me. Nobody could. If I was given a different choice, I’d fucking take it.” His voice broke slightly, but quickly Kane collected himself, changing back to his careless persona. “Make yourself at home.”

Mike heard the long echoing hoot of a busy road coming through the window, interrupted by the loud thump of Kane closing the bathroom door. He sat at the kitchen table, feeling quite like a fool for this meaningless fight with his “client”. There wasn’t even a reason for him to get emotionally involved. Maybe Kane was right: It was indeed about his dignity as an attorney, who had always believed his job was for the greater good. Even the idea of failing to help an innocent man was unbearable, so Mike rather believed Kane was a heinous crime.

Ashamed of his own thoughts, Mike returned to the challenges he was now facing. Technically, Kane wasn’t lying about his “bosses”, who might later come to visit Mike for the end of Kane’s working contract. In March, the last man who once worked for Fox was caught, from whom they finally got a lead. It was surprisingly easy to locate the traitor in United Earth Government, whose name _Kane_ claimed _he could not remember._ “I try not to pry, just in case they decide I know too much. My job's to find the remnants of Fox’s men, but interrogations were left to others.” 

“I don’t understand. In this case, what exactly do you need me for?” 

“The incident with Al after Christmas was not something the UEG cared, you know? They treat him as a fucking monument. That’s why I came to you first, because you care about him.” Kane glanced up at him, seemingly unaffected by the fierce argument they just had. He was again curled up in his sofa on the other end of the room, giving Mike enough space to function. 

“If I let them make a story out of me case, feed it to the public and all, I’m not going to live pass this year under the spotlight, you know. This curse will have Alex killed within a day if I die. See, it has made my life quite valuable.” 

Mike’s head shot up. “That’s not funny. Your life should be valued under all circumstances.”

“I’m so moved, Sir.” Said Kane with sarcasm dripping from his words. There was a short period of silence, which made the air viscous and thin for Mike to breath. _He was being serious._ Mike realized. _Kane probably cared more about Alex’s life than world peace._

“Anyway, it’s not just one man who’s secretly founding that project. My guess is that it’s not the traitors they are truly after. The UEG wants the recipe, some secret spell that could successfully swipes souls, which unfortunately seemed to have died together with Fox.”

“You are saying the UEG is giving up on the quest.”

“Hopefully, yeah. At least the part I’m participating has come to an end.” 

“Then why is Avery still after Alex? Who is he working for?” 

There was something terrifying flickered in Kane’s eyes as he hesitated before answering. “That’s the final mission of mine, you see.” He flashed a cold, emotionless smile. Mike could tell Kane already knew who was behind it. “I’ll let you know once it’s over.”

 

+

“I’m a lawyer, not a miracle worker.” Mike had to remind the man when Kane called on Friday to check on him. He hadn’t left the house since coming back from Kane’s, busy with paper work and _legally_ collecting evidence. “And no, I can’t subpoena the records without going into jail myself, especially from my private computer!”

Kane actually laughed, hearing his response. “I like you, Sir. You’re different from most people I deal with.”

Mike hung up before Kane could add more unnecessary crap.

The weekend seemed to be the longest one he ever experienced, since Mike was anticipating something big to happen on Monday. He was tempted to go to his office on Sunday, but Kane insisted he stayed at home, which was well protected with a bunch of spells.

“But I need to do my laundry, and I run out of beer.” 

“Just wear whatever to work. I’ll bring you beer, no worries.” Kane told him, although Mike didn’t invite him to come over. However, he couldn’t resist the offer of alcohol, and it would be nice to see a living soul after days of pure solitude. 

Kane ignored the doorbell and knocked directly on the door when he arrived. The daylight just started to dim, and through the cat’s eye Mike saw he was wearing a white tracksuit, with a black trench coat layered on top. At this time of the year, it was warm enough to lose the coats. Mike couldn’t help but imagine how much attention Kane would draw, walking around like this.

“Why do I feel like you’re putting me in danger deliberately?” Mike complained, let the door open.

Kane shrugged and smiled cheerfully, kicking off his expensive-looking shoes and run inside. He sat facing Mike, cross-legged on the carpet in the living room, and placed a six-pack on the ground. “No, but I’m letting the UEG know that I’ve come to you.”

Mike nearly tripped on the clear floor. “But you were saying-” 

“No, no, don’t worry. It’s just to let certain people notice, so that they can send the preferable person to you. I’m lucky that someone is willing to help even without knowing what I’m onto.”

 _That could also be a good summary of Mike’s role._ He collapsed on his cosy, clean sofa, studying Kane’s lean frame. _He came across to Mike as a man who always got what he wanted yet was never satisfied for some reason._ How ridiculous this scene was, considering at the start of the week, it was Alex Turner who sat at the same spot, sharing tobacco and liquor with Mike.

Mike was the one who came to pick Alex up at the airport three years ago. Alex arrived alone with an unbelievably small amount of luggages, dressed in light wash jeans and a plain white T-shirt. It seemed that time had never touched the young man, barely leaving any marks on his face hidden behind the overly long fringe. 

There was a mad party thrown at Helder’s apartment to welcome Alex. By midnight, Mike was the only one with a clear mind because he still had three appointments the next day. _“Look at what have been done to me, Mike.” Alex chuckled, leaning against the window. He was drunk…and heartbroken. He needed a doctor, not a fucking party in the middle of the week. Alex pointed a shaky finger upwards. One glance at his face Mike knew Alex was no longer here with his friends, his mind travelling all the way to back to a distant place. “What a beautiful view we’ve got here.”_

_Mike raised his head, the moonlit sky stared back at him._

Alex spent a few months sharing the flat with Matt, before he was back to dating Taylor, who Mike heard was once his girlfriend when they were still living on the moon. Alex had a haircut and seemingly a new coping system, which, as a friend, Mike wasn’t sure if he should be happy about or not.

“You know Alex’s with someone else right?” Mike asked after his third beer, although this was really not his place to talk and he wasn’t a fucking relationship counsellor. “Why are you still willing to take the curse for him?” 

“Hey! I care about his damn life, whoever he’s gonna spent it with.” Said Kane smugly. The smirk on his face was out of place. It gave Mike chills along the spine. _Why wasn't Kane bothered? Even the kindest, most generous man in the world wouldn't be able to ..._

Mike stood on shaky legs, pacing across the room when he suddenly figured it out. “You fucking cheat. You aren’t planning on telling him you’re alive.”

“It’s almost creepy, you know, how quick you are.” Kane shrugged, whispering the compliment like an insult. He forgot the formal names he should be using, and for a moment this was almost like a friendly chat _with your stupidest mate_. “What’s the point, Mike? He’s finally happy.”

“He’s never happy without you.” Mike argued. _Now he did sound like a relationship counsellor of sorts._ “I’ve been trying to persuade him to see a therapist for years.”

“Well, keep trying then.” Flashing him a genuine smile, Kane brought up his can.

Mike had a rosy dome light in the living room, gifting a warm, soft tint to Kane’s eyes. Either out of instinct or stupidity, Mike slid down to the floor, meeting his perplexed gaze. “Tell me how I can help you, Miles. We can set you free! Then you go back to him, you understand me? Go back to him before this lonely universe take him away-"

Abruptly, Miles leaned back, dodging his stare by looking away. “It’s far too late.” His voice trembles with _sorrow and remorse._  “I can’t expect him to take me back just because I -” 

“Why don’t you try not to make decisions for others? Damn it, you are scared to tell him, so you’ll just give the fuck up? Aren’t you two made for each other! Two stupid, stubborn dickheads…” The frustration and regret exploding in his chest was from an old memory for someone he had long lost. Mike felt extremely jealous, for this pathetically arrogant young man in front of him had no idea _how it felt like to completely lose someone he truly loved_. _What the world would become after they were gone._

Kane glared back at him, face unreadable. “Why do you even care? It's none of you business. You're not some fucking saint!”

“Get out of my house, Kane.” Mike was suddenly exhausted. He couldn’t care less now it’s already fairly late, and he wasn’t living in the safest neighbourhood. _Kane could be at anywhere else to annoy other people and give him a break._ “I still have a real job to do tomorrow.”

He didn’t get a goodbye when Kane left. 

 

+

When Mike push open the door of his office at 9 o’clock sharp in the morning, these two men was already sitting beside the side desk, waiting for him. One of them was around his age, wearing trainers and cartoon T-shirts in this solemn building. The other man had sleek and shiny silver hair, dressed in dark extravagant suits drenched in cologne.

No words were exchanged between them until Mike locked the door from the inside.

“Have a seat, Mr. Kerr.” Said the younger man. _He probably had forgotten this was Mike’s own fucking office._ “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

“Excuse me, perhaps you’d be good enough to enlighten me,” Mike refused to sit down, yet felt vulnerable nonetheless when he was the only one standing. “Who are you?”

“My name’s Kevin. This is Mr. Weller, who you may already know about. As you must have guessed already, we are here for Mr. Miles Kane.”

Mike hesitated, deciding to play on the safe side first.  “So…you come for a dead man on Monday morning.”

“Kane has been working for the UEG for almost 7 years as a secret agent. We know he’s been in touch with you recently, but please don’t take this the wrong way. We’re here to as your clients. If not us, later it would be some jerks with too many sunglasses and too little brains.” Kevin mocked in a light tone. Weller snorted lowly, getting up from the seat, holding out a hand to greet Mike. 

The handshake was a bit awkward, since nobody was talking.

“I knew Miles would be doing something similar. He’s a bit troublesome, sometimes. We are truly sorry that you’re exposed to possible danger. It’s a relief to see you’re not affected in any way, Mr. Kerr.” Weller had an august, powerful voice. Moreover, he had the rare ability to appear trustworthy.

Mike compromised reluctantly. “Please, may I ask, what can I do for you both?”

“Our goals could be the same, in fact.” Kevin chimed in again. He was good at lifting away the stiff, dreadful tension in the air. “We want a boring, unattractive exit for Mr. Miles Kane. For one thing, we’ll have less talks about government idiocies. Besides, he seems more useful when alive, so we want to keep it that way.” 

 _It could just be the way he worded things... no need for retorts._ Mike reminded himself, swallowing the anger back.  _These were the people Kane was talking about._

He took a deep breath in, and then slowly let it all out. _It's not like he had a better option, after all._ “I’m happy to offer my service if you fill in a formal letter, Kevin and Mr. Weller.”

 

+

Miles Kane called on Thursday morning through his private line again. 

“You’re not allowed to speak to me until it’s done, Kane.” Mike rubbed at his forehead tiredly. This case was hanging heavily over his head like a sharp sword. _Kane seemed to have this special ability to make everyone around him lose their shits easily,_ and Mike just didn’t have the time for another childish fight.

“I’ll be quick.” Kane swore on the other side of the phone. He seemed to be in a rush as well. “You’re right, it’s not my decision to make, and I’d be the biggest prick ever if I don’t tell Al the truth.”

Mike almost deleted a file on his screen by accident. “That’s it? You’re calling to tell me this? I’m not your fucking parent-” 

“-and I’m sorry about all the name calling. Thank you, Mike. I’ll see you on Tuesday, okay? If you see Alex, remember _don’t_ say hi for me.”

The line was dead before he could gather a reply. _Fuck Kane and his weird charm._ Mike threw his phone in his pocket. Just to be safe, he turned it off until working hours ended.

 

+ 

Years and years later, if you asked him, Mike would say it was fate that brought him to Kane’s door on that Tuesday, not some empathy or pity he might accidentally hold for this guy. Maybe that’s why he was caught in this story in the first place – Mike was meant to be at this place during this time, so that there would still be a possibility for it to go on.

It was already too late for him to wander on street like this, barehanded and unprotected. The road lights near Kane’s apartment weren’t working properly. It took Mike a few tries to locate the right door.

He was expecting Kane to visit him like last time, with beers in hand and an attitude that’s borderline annoying. He should feel relieved when it’s past 10 and nobody showed up by his door. However,  instead Mike found it hard to concentrate. He was peeking at the screen every 15 mins, until he finally surrendered and put on his shoes, getting out of the door and drove directly to Kane’s place.

Mike wished he had Kane’s real number, which would save him so much trouble, although he’s not sure if Kane truly got one. 

The elevator smelled like perfume. It wasn’t a common fragrance that he’d smell on a busy street or a crowded party. Somehow, it reminded Mike of herbal medicine and clinic. An ominous mood was triggered, and Mike couldn't shake off the feeling of anxiety and uncertainty when he banged on the door desperately.

“What the fu-” The metal yielded on the third beat, swinging inside and collided with the wall heavily. _The building was empty._ Mike realized as he stepped inside. There was only deadly silence in the corridor. Either nobody else was living in here, or nobody else was alive. His heart was knocking on the ribcage uncontrollably fast, and Mike was too nervous to even breath.

The smell of perfume was inside the room as well, mixed with something metallic and vile. Numerous thoughts briefly crossed his mind as Mike fumbled for the light switch. He breathed out in relief when the room was lit, but let out a horrified scream as soon as his eyes adjusted.

_There was so much blood on the wooden floor._

“Miles?” He shouted, knees turning jelly like. Biles raised up as Mike took a look around the living room. There was a big difference between seeing pictures of crime scenes in his file folder and seeing a real one with his own eyes. The few pieces of furniture were all at their original place, as if nothing had happened. The only evidence was the blood, which was still fluid when Mike accidentally stepped on it.

He was about to faint, when he heard a weak noise coming from the bedroom.

The door was slightly ajar. Mike waited for a few seconds, but nobody was coming out of the darkened room. _There was still time to turn back and run and call the police back in the car._ But his legs refused to go to the other direction and dragged him towards the black hole. Mike almost broke into joyful tears when he recognized the silhouette leaning against the wardrobe by the door. He pushed the door fully open, letting the light evade the room and casted on Kane. “You scared the hell out of me! What happened-” 

Mike almost lost his balance when Kane stumbled and fell forward.

Out of reflex, Mike supported Kane by holding him under the arms. He can’t even tell the true colour of Kane’s T-shirt because it was soaked in blood. Shocked and panicked, Mike glanced into the bedroom and found another body lying lifelessly on bed. “Did you kill her?” He could see the high-heels hanging on the edge of the bed. “God, what-”

“…your phone.” Kane whispered. He sounded more dead than alive. It took Mike three try to get the numbers right. Before he even made a sound, the cold synthetic voice already assured him there would be help in 10 mins.

Cautiously, Mike moved them both back into the living room. Kane only groaned feebly when Mike lowered him onto the floor. “…’s okay.” He saw Mike’s face and smiled faintly. “Not my blood.” 

“You’re still bleeding, for fuck sake!” Mike shouted at the ridiculous lie, both hands lost in the air. He didn’t know if he could comfort the man in anyway, worried that one small touch and Kane would be gone. Kane choked on a breath and started to cough violently. On the bare skin of his arms, Mike could see the black mark spreading, growing like vines.

“The curse,” He grasped at Miles’ hand, which was left unharmed and clean. “Leave the curse and fucking heal yourself!” 

If Kane was in a better condition, Mike would literally hit him in the face when Kane slightly shook his head negatively. “I’m fine.” He insisted, grumbling and pursing his lips like a nettlesome little boy.

Mike felt like crying for no particular reason. 

Out of blue, Kane said softly. “I wanna see him.” His face was clean and ghostly white, and Mike had to check on him every three seconds to make sure Kane was still conscious. The words were barely audible, and the longing in his half-open eyes was too pathetic to watch that Mike had to turn his head away. Otherwise, he’d break down as well. 

Ten tormenting minutes Mike had endured, watching the young man he barely knew about lying on the floor, struggling to breath. Mike was even, for real, expecting an ambulance when steady, calm footsteps finally broke the unyielding silence.

Mike was shoved to the side by Weller, who then grabbed Miles’ shoulder tightly, making him whimper in pain. “What’re you-” Mike shut up, gasped in amazement as the black mark on Kane’s arms retreated and shrank back immediately under the cruel-looking touch. _Of course, how could he forget this old man was a legendary Wizard._  

Kane’s fingers relaxed on the floor as he slowly recovered from the injury. He looked almost sheepish as Weller let him go, steel-like gaze focused on his face. “We’ll talk about this later.”

That’s when Mike realized there were more voices outside. Weller got up and walked straight to the female body. Mike rolled his eyes when Kane tried to follow Weller into the bedroom, but his legs were too weak to function. Mike leaned forward to hold him steady, cursing loudly.

“Why did you come here?”

“You said you’d be visiting today.” Mike bit back another swearword when Kane leaned heavily on him, giving up on moving anytime soon. He almost looked too comfortable when Mike shifted his arms, reluctantly letting Kane place his head on his shoulder. “You’re a bloody murderer.”

“Told you.” Kane cracked a smirk at how _graphic and accurate_ the description was. In between the madly laughing, he said earnestly to Mike's ear, “Thank you for coming.”

For some reason, Mike didn’t drop this man back to the floor. He didn’t know what made him say that, but the sentence was already out in the air. “Alex lives just a few minutes away.” 

“...I know.” Miles stiffened against him. Mike was again stunned by how thickheaded a man could be when Miles sighed. “He got a date tonight at downtown. Won’t be back before midnight.”

“You could have died.” Mike whispered, knowing he had already lost the argument.

“Nah, it’s not gonna kill me. If I lose conscience though, could be a big problem because I won’t be able to hold the curse back.” Kane turned to face him, smiling.He said firmly, “You are a life saver, Mike. Thank you.” 

This charming young man had just murdered someone.

Shamefully, Mike couldn’t be happier that Miles Kane was still alive.   

 

+

Occasionally, Mike would still dream about the case of Miles Kane.

To be fair, it was a bit embarrassing, dreaming of your friend from the other side of Earth. He usually called Alex afterwards, just to check in. “Mike! Thought at this hour you’d be working.” Alex would tease him first, and then put Mike on speaker if he had company.

The call wouldn’t last more than 15 mins, because Mike indeed always had a case to finish.

The closure of Miles’ case was as required,  _lame and boring._

The mysterious death of the mysterious lady was not recorded. As Kevin precisely predicted, so many stupid faces were wearing sunglasses when entering the secret hearing. With the help from Kevin and his own connections, Mike successfully persuaded the group of douchebags that there was really no need to land a harsh blow on people’s barely-there trust for the United Earth Government after “the moon scandal”.

To be extra safe, Miles Kane could stay under their noses _with the help of Policy 309._

“I picked you a good supervisor.” 

“Weller said he’s willing to do the job, man. Why all the trouble?” Mike passed him the file before Miles could say anything more. He shuddered the second he saw the name. For a second or two, Mike genuinely worried he would collapsed on the floor.

When Miles lifted his head up, his eyes were glassy. “You don’t have to-” 

“No, listen, this is about my damn ego. I am the best lawyer in LA-” 

Miles pulled him into a bone-breaking hug, interrupting his prepared speech. _Now Miles was legitimately crying like a giant baby._ It  _again made Mike feel too much like a worried parent._ “You’re the best fucking lawyer in the whole universe! Thank you, Mike. Thank you so fucking much...”

Mike hugged him back. Under his palm he knew there was a dark and heavy curse Miles was bearing. But that's not his problem to worry anymore - his task was already done.

 _On his part, it was a good ending overall:_  In this lonely, immense universe, the case of Miles Kane was another one that could make Mike smile when the night fell gently. As Mike Kerr was peacefully waiting for the next day to come, the sun would go on to wake up another land.

Beyond the horizon, the story continued.

+END+

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if anyone's reading this still lmao. I was worried it has gotten annoyingly long! But I really enjoyed writing the series. Hopefully anyone who read to here enjoyed it as well >33 
> 
> Please don't hesitate to share headcons and random Milex contents with me here. Always Milex deprived, as usual! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/samantha-7leaves


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